


Before and After the War

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eight as her companion, Episode AU: s01e01 Rose, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human Doctor (Doctor Who), Inspired By Tumblr, Rose as the Doctor, Season/Series 01, Time Lord Rose, birthday ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 23:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1876155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor stumbles upon a man caught in the basement while the Living Plastic starts to roam, and feels compelled to rescue him.</p><p>She finds it harder to stay away from him, since she doesn't like traveling alone, it's not out of the question to invite him along on an adventure, or two, or three...</p><p> </p><p>[A birthday ficlet for Aeonish, and a plot bunny that could someday become a longer thing]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before and After the War

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aeonish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeonish/gifts).



> Trin, I hope you like this fic! It was inspired by a tagfic I wrote one day, and then suddenly I couldn't stop writing.
> 
>  
> 
> picspam link here: http://timeladyspacepirateutteroutcast.tumblr.com/post/90451866050/  
> tagfic inspiration link here: http://timeladyspacepirateutteroutcast.tumblr.com/post/90415510500/
> 
>  
> 
> this was also way tamer than i usually write... ;)  
> and how do you title? gah.

He had just come back to retrieve his lunch box. He’d left it all the way downstairs, foolish of him. He had never expected to find Wilson’s office locked, and thus, his lunch box out of reach.

He banged his fist on the door,

“Wilson? You still in there mate? It’s me, John. I forgot my lunch box. Can you unlock the door real quick?”

Loud thumping sounded from nearby, and he turned around to see a few figures emerging from the darkness. They looked like shop window dummies.

“Oh. Do you know where Wilson is?”

The closer they grew, the more creeped out he felt. The small hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up and he edged backwards,

“Okay. Something’s going on is it? Big prank? Joke’s on me. It’s not that funny.”

A dummy closest to him raised a hand, and John squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact, until he felt a hand slip into his left one, scrabbling for a hold and a way to escape.

“Run!”

He looked up and found himself gazing into glowing hazel eyes, and he did the only thing he could. He ran.

***

The Doctor hadn’t meant to get distracted from her current adventure. Living plastic trying to take over London. A signal beacon atop a simple department store. Easy peasy.

However, when she heard someone speaking in the basement, just a few steps away from the service elevator, she’d rolled her eyes and gone to investigate.

She’d spotted the figure being surrounded by dummies and heaved a sigh.

“Jeopardy friendly these humans, I swear.”

She muttered to herself before swooping in to rescue it.

A rather long brown haired bright blue eyed him.

He didn’t look horribly frightened, and she found herself wondering why. Then again, perhaps he didn’t realize just what was going on.

Once safely in the lift, she turned to him and beamed.

“Alright?”

He swallowed and stared at her wide eyed.

“Yes. Thank you. What were they? They weren’t people…pretending to be the dummies?”

The Doctor licked her lips before replying. He was quick this human.

“No they weren’t people.”

“Is Wilson-?”

The Doctor’s smile faded,

“Wilson the bloke who worked in that office?”

The man nodded, and the Doctor sighed,

“I’m sorry, Wilson was dead before I could help him.”

The man nodded again, and remained silent.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to stop any further damage. I’ve got this!”

She held up the contraption she’d thrown together in the TARDIS, and he looked at it, brows furrowing.

“Oh?”

“Yep. This is your stop I believe.”

The elevator doors slid open, and the lobby was visible. The man hurried out but whirled around before the doors could close, a hand thrown out wildly to stop them.

“Who are you?”

She grinned,

“I’m the Doctor.”

The man managed a smile,

“John. John Smith.”

The Doctor laughed, before nodding to his hand,

“Nice to meet you John, now run for your life, and don’t look back!”

She whipped out her sonic screwdriver when she saw him start to hesitate, and the doors closed swiftly. As she reached the roof she quickly went to work, setting up the device to disrupt the signal, and when the countdown had begun, she began to run.

***

It wasn’t long before the Doctor came to call on John, and he answered the door to find the mysterious blonde haired woman who’d saved his life, and simultaneously destroyed his job.

“What are you doing here?”

He gaped at her, not meaning to sound as rude as he probably had, but she didn’t seem affected. She’d pushed past him and strode around his flat, picking up random bits and bobs, reading his mail, and flipping through halfway read books.

“John Smith.” She recited, clearly reading on of his cable bills.

John coughed,

“Can I help you with something…Doctor? Doctor of what exactly?”

She turned to him and grinned,

“Well John Smith, since you’ve got a spare bit of free time now, without your job and all,” a brief wince was the only sign of apology she gave before continuing, “How’d you like to come with me?”

John frowned for a moment, before shrugging.

“Alright. We could go get chips.”

The Doctor looked horrified,

“Oh no. No I didn’t mean…not like a date! I mean come with me, come travel.”

John cocked an eyebrow at her,

“No to a date, but traveling the country…completely platonic?”

The Doctor sighed, and then took a hold of his hand,

“Just come see what I mean. You lot are impossible!”

He tried to protest, considering he was still in his dress robe and sleep pants, but then again, she was a beautiful woman, he wasn’t about to turn her down.

However, when she’d stopped short in front of a tall blue box, marked Police, he balked.

“What’s this then? Am I being arrested? I didn’t do it! You were the one who blew the place up.”

The Doctor might have rolled her eyes, but he was a bit panicky to notice.

“Come on!”

She pulled the door open, and then pushed him inside.

“See? Not arresting you mate. Inviting you on the adventure of a lifetime!”

John finally looked up and away from her, and he gasped in astonishment.

The police box was so much bigger on the inside. It didn’t even look anything like a box. It was more like a giant library, with a roaring fireplace and the smell of fresh brewed tea in the air.

He turned around and saw the Doctor standing at a circular table, leading up to a large blue glass column. She was flicking switches and pressing buttons, and she saw him looking, and beamed.

“What do you think?”

“What is this?”

He slowly approached the library, and walked close to the fireplace, relishing the warmth that spread over his skin. The quick walk from his flat to this magnificent place had chilled him. After all, he only had his robe and shorts on. The Doctor was clad in a long blue leather jacket, with a pink tank beneath, tucked into black slacks. He realized how he must look, and felt his cheeks flame.

“This is my ship.”

John fell into the nearest armchair and shook his head,

“I don’t understand.”

The Doctor moved away from the circular table, or control panel, and made her way over to him.

“I’m not from around here. I’m not a normal earth girl. I’m not even from earth. I’m a time Lord, or Lady rather. I came here specifically to destroy that rogue signal that was making plastic come to life. It would have been really bad if I hadn’t stopped it. I was sort of taken off course. I’d planned to visit America. But I always end up here somehow.”

She smiled, not really looking at him, and he found he only had one question.

“Why me?”

The Doctor’s smile shifted,

“Well, I dunno. I feel like I owe you one. Messed up your day a bit.”

John grimaced,

“More like my month. I can’t make rent if I don’t get a new job right away.”

The Doctor reached out to touch his hand,

“What if I told you this is a time machine? I can bring you right back to today, after. No time will have passed, and I could even help you find a job. Probably. I promise.”

John looked at her, and he found himself nodding.

“Okay. Time machine though? That’s only in films. You’re having me on.”

The Doctor clapped her hands together,

“That’s what you doubt? After this?”

She waved a hand around the library, and he almost laughed aloud,

“Well, yes. It’s a lot to take in.”

She shrugged a shoulder at him,

“You lot never use your imaginations. Come on then, let’s go somewhere marvelous. You hungry?”

John followed her over to the console and nodded,

“Oh most assuredly. I was about to have breakfast when you knocked.”

The Doctor almost looked guilty,

“Breakfast in Asgard, what do you think?”

John’s eyebrows lifted,

“Asgard? Like the Norse myths?”

The Doctor nodded,

“Oh yes. But not myths. They’re real. They love humans, and they’ve got a soft spot for me. I always tell them the best stories.”

John shrugged,

“Okay. Show me what this thing can do.”

A slight whine sounded as the Doctor through a switch,

“Careful now. You’ll hurt her feelings. Or she might try to show off.”

John frowned,

“She?”

The Doctor rolled her eyes,

“Yes, it’s a ship. A sentient ship. She. I think she likes you though. However, as much as we both like the view, I think you should change before we leave those doors.”

John was halfway down the hall, following the mad complicated directions to the ‘wardrobe room’ the Doctor had given him when he realized what she’d said.

***

The Doctor stroked the TARDIS as she waited on John. She knew it hadn’t really been that long since she’d traveled with someone, but after saying goodbye to Mel and Ace, all in the name of giving them back their own lives, she’d only traveled alone for a few decades before feeling lonely.

It just wasn’t as much fun without someone at her side.

She heard soft footsteps, and she turned around to see John striding towards her. He’d found a dark navy tunic and moss green slacks, along with black leather boots and a gold edged cloak to finish it off.

“How do I look? Please don’t laugh. This was all I could find.”

The Doctor shook her head,

“Not bad. My ship knows what she’s doing. You’ll fit right in.”

John looked at her curiously,

“Won’t you need to change too?”

The Doctor waved her hand,

“Nah. They know me. I never change unless I need to.”

John looked rather deflated, and she patted his arm,

“Hey. Don’t worry. It’ll be great.”

John shook his head,

“It’s not that. I just suddenly realized what I’m doing. Which is…I have no idea. I’m a bit afraid.”

The Doctor tried to smile in a reassuring manner,

“It’s normal. Culture shock. It’ll wear off.” Without a thought, she reached down and took his hand, squeezing it gently and then letting him go as the TARDIS landed.

“We’re here!”

The Doctor sprinted for the doors, and threw them open with gusto,

“John Smith, welcome to Asgard!”

***

It didn’t take long for the Doctor to realize how much fun John Smith could be. Once they’d had to help the Asgardians defeat a few renegade Frost Giants, they’d traveled to the past, the year before Charles Dickens had written his last story.

That hadn’t gone according to plan either, and the Doctor had nearly gotten them both killed when she’d refused to listen to John. She’d regretted it immensely, and the fact they’d survived only at the loss of a life weighed on her.

It wasn’t until John had asked to visit the future, after the sun expanded, that the Doctor was forced to face the truth, she was falling for the human.

That went beyond bad and straight into impossible.

Time Lords and Ladies didn’t consort with humans, or any lesser species for that matter. When she got the call to return to Gallifrey, she tried to pretend it was no small matter to have to take John home, and say goodbye.

So she didn’t say goodbye.

“I’m not very good at these to be honest.”

She’d shuffled her foot, and stabbed her toe into the ground, concentrating on the ache of pain that shot up her leg. Steel toed boots they were not.

John was fighting back tears, she could tell. She could smell the salt water in the air.

“Will I ever see you again?”

The Doctor shrugged, and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes,

“You never know. Might come back once I get bored again. The High Council are a bunch of daft old fools anyway.”

John gave a watery laugh,

“Not nearly as reckless and adventure seeking as you?”

The Doctor nodded,

“You got that right. No one like me.”

John sobered,

“No. There isn’t. Promise me something.”

The Doctor frowned, she didn’t make promises. But she was starting to drown in John’s blue eyes, as she had too many times before,

“Okay.”

“Take care of yourself.”

The Doctor grinned,

“Okay.”

John stepped closer, and paused right in the doorway of the TARDIS, so close to where she leaned against it,

“Please Doctor. Promise me.”

She pushed off the TARDIS and took his hand,

“I promise. Now you go get a great job, and forget about me.”

She moved to pull away, and enter the ship, but he didn’t release her hand before pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“As if I could.”

***

The Doctor wasn’t able to think, she couldn’t see straight, and the pain was almost too much. She’d chosen to look into the time vortex a second time, hundreds of years after having done it in her childhood, in a last ditch effort to try and end the War, but it had only made her weak. It would eventually kill her if she didn’t regenerate, and she staggered back into the TARDIS with that thought in mind.

The echoes of screaming children and adults alike rang in her ears.

She’d done the impossible. She’d ended the War, but at a horrible cost. She’d been forced to destroy them all, time lords and Daleks alike to stop them and save the universe from destruction.

They’d all burned, and she’d watched.

The TARDIS took off into the time vortex, flying away, far away from the dark empty space where Gallifrey had been, and hopefully somewhere no one would ever find her.

She didn’t want to face any world, anywhere, with the amount of blood on her hands.

Speaking of hands…she cracked open an eyelid to see a familiar golden glow beginning and she groaned in pain. The regeneration was starting. The energy would flush the vortex from her system and heal her. She looked around the TARDIS and managed a smile, at least it would change with her, and together they’d forge ahead. She fell back to the ground and let the energy consume her.

***

When things finally cleared, and the light had faded, the Doctor staggered to her feet, noting the damage that had been done to her dress.

“Well I guess I finally need to visit the wardrobe room eh?” she asked aloud, mostly to the ship, but partly to herself.

Vanity made her walk around the console and pull down the circular mirror.

What she saw made her gasp.

The face was mainly the same, slightly harder, and aged, but overall, the same. The hair was long and straggly, and would need a wash, but was still blond.

She held up her hands and let out a nervous laugh.

“I can’t believe it. I guess I was more fond of this face than I thought.”

Walking to the wardrobe room, she fought with every fiber of her being to ignore the real reason why she liked the face so much. Because _someone else_ liked it.

Green lighting glowed in the ceiling, and the walls were decorated with looming arches of coral. The Doctor liked the changes, and even though the ship had moved the library from directly across the console room, she didn’t mind. She’d never used it anyway.

The humming of the time rotor soothed her as she roamed the halls, and she didn’t realize the ship had made up her own mind about where to go, until she’d returned to the console room, having only found a canvas colored jacket to throw about her shoulder, hiding the worst of the holes in her clothing.

“Where have you brought me today girl?”

The lights blinked in a lazy manner, as if to tell her to check the display screen.

The Doctor frowned at said screen, and sighed after a moment.

“Well I’m not sure if I should thank you or not.”

She strolled down the walkway slowly, stroking a coral strut before cautiously opening the front doors.

It was a cloudy day, and she squinted against the grey sunshine filtering through said clouds.

“Well London looks about the same. This is after I was here last, right?”

She turned back to the interior, and the reassuring blink of lights spurred her on. If that hadn’t been enough of a hint, the door clicked closed behind her.

“Okay I get it. Take a walk, stop being so depressed. Thanks girl.”

After a quick scan for alien tech with her sonic, she relaxed. She didn’t really feel up to defeating any invaders today.

Her feet took her to the nearest chip shop, for the scent had utterly captivated her. A faint memory of someone asking her to go get chips with them flitted past her mind’s eye, and she smiled. It had been a while since she’d had any earth food. Maybe it was just the thing to cheer her up.

Not that anything so trivial really could.

Distraction was a better option.

***

John pushed his glassed back up his nose, as he frowned at the paper. Boring news article after boring news article. Despite what most people thought, he didn’t read the paper for just the comics. He read it for any sign of _her._

He knew whatever she did would certainly be worthy of front page news.

But it had been so long, without a sign, without a whisper.

The jangling of the bell to the chippy barely distracted him. He reached a lazy hand out to snag a room temperature chip without even glancing towards the basket.

Unfortunately, either his luck had just run out, or it had gone horribly wrong, for his hand brushed right past the interior of the basket and knocked the entire thing off his table.

“Dammit.” He muttered, throwing the paper aside with a massive crunch.

“May I see that?”

A soft voice asked, and John looked up to find a blond girl with sad eyes looking at him, pointing to the newspaper he’d discarded.

“Oh yeah sure. But it’s rubbish. Nothing interesting.”

He knelt down to begin scooping the now bin-ready chips into the basket, and then jerked his head up so fast his glasses went flying.

“Doctor!”  
A hand slipped out so fast he thought perhaps he’d imagined it, but no, she’d caught his glasses.

“Yes?”

John stared at her unabashed, and drank the sight of her in.

He didn’t need glasses to see her, so close was she standing. She looked so different, yet almost barely aged since the last time he saw her. The tidy blonde curtains of hair that had framed her face were wild curls that spilled over her shoulders, and her eyes looked so much older, so sad and full of pain. He ached to ask what had made them that way.

No more was the blue leather, now she was wearing a dress and coat that could only be described as hobo chic. He shook his head. That wasn’t very tactful of him. Hopefully she couldn’t read his thoughts.

“It’s me. John.”

The Doctor’s lips wobbled, and for a moment he thought she was going to cry, but then she grinned at him, and though it didn’t reach her eyes, she was clearly happy to see him.

“John Smith? My you’ve changed. Look at those. Brainy specs yeah?”

Her tongue peeked out between her teeth, and her hand rose to trace along the side of his temple, brushing over the metal frames.

“Well yeah, I guess it comes with getting older.”

He managed a laugh.

For some reason she looked horrified.

“How long has it been?”

John shrugged,

“Five years, or so. Depending on the exact date you left.”

The Doctor collapsed into the chair beside him,

“Five years.” She said it in a tone that made it sound like an eternity.

John reached out to touch her shoulder, attempting his best effort at comfort,

“It’s okay. You’re here now. I’m fine. You’re fine. You do look…different.”

The Doctor grimaced,

“Good or bad?”

Her expression seemed to be trying to convince him it was the latter, but he didn’t feel that way.

“Good. You’re still the same age, I guess? Now we’re probably about even.”

He grinned, and would have winked if he hadn’t seen a virtual curtain of sadness slip over her face.

“Yeah. The same.”

“Would you like some chips? I need some new ones anyway.”

The Doctor laughed suddenly,

“Yeah okay. Chips sound good.”

John rose to his feet, and held out his finger to her,

“Stay. I’ll be right back.”

The Doctor merely nodded, and he reluctantly took his eyes off her.

***

The Doctor exhaled slowly as he left her side. John Smith had only gotten more handsome with the years. She’d never have said anything to the contrary, but it had been easier to pretend she was above it all, until he’d kissed her hand.

But so much had happened and distracted her from the madness that was involved with caring for a human. The same face. She knew now it had been because of him. Maybe even for him.

She pressed her hands to her temples, attempting to quiet her memories, just for a moment. She couldn’t look him in the eye and tell him the truth, how she’d broken her promise.

The instant he returned, she let her eyes drift shut. She pretended to be smelling the fresh chips, but in reality she was avoiding having to look at him for as long as possible.

He was much too kind, too eager to see her, and too curious for his own good.

“I brought you a drink too.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So tell me, what great adventures were you off having?”

The smile on his face was too painful to look at, so she plucked up chips that were much too hot to handle and popped them in her mouth. Superior time Lady Biology meant she couldn’t feel a thing, so she simply chewed and put off answering.

John evidently got the point, and didn’t ask her again until she’d finished her chips and they were walking outside, heading in the general direction of the TARDIS.

Finally she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“I wasn’t having adventures.”

John frowned and reached up to push his glasses back in place.

“What do you mean?”

She sighed,

“There was a war. I got home and found Gallifrey under attack.”

John cursed under his breath,

“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

The Doctor shook her head,

“It’s okay. How could you? But that’s where I’ve been. Why I’ve been gone. I didn’t even plan to come back here.”

John stopped short, and stared at her.

“You mean you would’ve never come to say goodbye?”

The Doctor felt a mad sort of laugh bubble out of her throat,

“John. My planet’s gone. My people all burned. I didn’t get to tell them goodbye either. At least you’re safe here. Safe in this little world.”

She smiled sadly, and despite her best efforts, a few tears managed to escape.

Before she knew what was happening, John was pulling her into his arms, and she was sagging into his embrace.

She didn’t know how badly she’d needed it.

They stood there for a good few minutes. Two people clinging to one another on a busy side street. No one paid them any mind.

Eventually the Doctor pulled back first, any sign of emotion gone, a melancholy smile playing around the edges of her lips,

“So John, what do you do now?”

***

He wasn’t about to just let her drop the subject like that, but he didn’t want to see her cry again. Ever, if possible.

“I’ve been temping as a substitute teacher. Turns out I’ve got a knack for it.”

The Doctor grinned,

“Teaching eh? What subject? P. E.?”

John laughed at that,

“Not quite. History.”

The Doctor nodded,

“Well you certainly have a unique perspective.”

John shrugged,

“I felt I had a distinctive advantage. After all, who else has seen history happen right before their eyes?”

The Doctor licked her lips,

“Not many, that’s for sure.”

Without even noticing, the Doctor had led John to the TARDIS, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the ship.

“She looks wonderful.”

The Doctor shrugged,

“She got a bit of a remodel…after things.”

John remained silent until the Doctor entered the ship and walked straight on down an unfamiliar corridor.

“Where’s the library?”

He asked as he circled the console, gazing at the changed architecture, marveling at its bewitching color and beauty.

He hated to think of the sort of damage that had been caused to require such an extensive change.

“Oh. I’ve no idea. I’ve not gone to look for it.”

The Doctor spoke up, and John turned to find her perched on the jumpseat, now clad with canvas colored leather, instead of the dark velvet it had been previous.

“Doctor.” John began, unsure how to continue.

She looked at him steadily, and nodded,

“Yes John?”

“Would it help…if you talked about it?”

He tensed, worried that she might harden, and decide to throw him out, but instead he saw her slouch in the seat, and sigh.

“I don’t think so. You wouldn’t possibly understand. I’ve been alone before. I’ve traveled on my own for decades. But now I’m _really_ alone. The last of the time lords. The last of my kind.”

John’s feet seemed to have a mind of their own, for he was suddenly standing beside her, and he fell to his knees, grasping her hand in his and she met his gaze,

“There’s me. Don’t ever think you’re alone. As long as I can, I’ll be here.”

The Doctor swallowed, and her free hand lifted to stroke his cheek, so gently and carefully he remained still, like she was a cornered animal he didn’t wish to frighten.

“Oh John…I don’t know what to say. There were all these rules and regulations, and charters and laws, millions of pages…and now they’re all dust. There’s really nothing to say I can’t-“

She broke off, and he frowned,

“Can’t what?”

Her hand shifted, and her index finger pressed to his temple, and for an instant he could hear singing, like nothing he’d ever known. Birds and voices woven together in an entirely alien melody.

He gasped and she drew her hand back.

“What was that?”

The Doctor looked wistful,

“That was your name, in my language.”

John blinked, and found his eyes wet,

“It’s beautiful.”

Her fingers slipped down to caress his cheek, and he moved to capture her hand, holding it there.

“Yes. You are.”

He might have cringed at his own ridiculous line any other time, but it was so honest and heartfelt, he didn’t know how else to tell her.

She was an alien and the last of her kind, but he was hopelessly in love with her. He’d waited five years and she’d appeared in his life again like a whirlwind. Maybe it meant nothing, maybe not.

“John…”

***

The Doctor was poised on the brink. The edge of the ending. She knew what she’d seen, and though she’d only spoken his name in his mind, that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen further into his thoughts.

She was scribbled onto every surface thought, and even a few deeper ones. It was almost heartbreaking. She was seared into his mind as he was onto her hearts.

His name fell from her lips in a hushed whisper, and she didn’t move when he leaned in closer, his arms trapping her on the jump seat, his face inches from hers.

“Doctor?”

She closed her eyes and titled her head to the side. It didn’t take a second for him to follow through, and when his lips met hers, degrees warmer than her skin, she gasped.

She’d never been kissed in this body, and never by a human.

It was glorious. The suns seemed to burn out and fade in the time that they kissed.

Her arms wound around his neck to hold him close, and his own gripped her waist in a fierce embrace. He’d said she’d never be alone as long as she let him stay, and she had half a mind to tell him never to leave.

She could have his forever, but he couldn’t share hers.

That was a discussion for another day. Right then, all she cared about was that moment.

Even when he finally pulled away, breathless from lack of air, she couldn’t even think.

“Was that okay?”

The Doctor giggled, feeling a lightness in her chest,

“Of course. You read my message loud and clear.”

John looked sheepish,

“I might have been wanting to do that since Cardiff.”

Her hand gripped his shoulder,

“You’re not the only one.”

He gaped at her,

“Why-?”

She shrugged,

“The timing wasn’t right.”

His eyes widened,

“Isn’t it terrible now?”

She shook her head,

“It’s just what the Doctor ordered.”

John groaned and threw his head back,

“You didn’t.”

The Doctor held up her hand,

“Guilty.”

John grinned,

“At least you didn’t ask if I needed a Doctor.”

She pursed her lips,

“I still might. You look rather…pale.”

He sighed,

“Well I haven’t got the kind of superior biology you do.”

She nodded.

“Of course. Excuses.”

John stood up, and brought her to her feet with him,

“I’ll have you know m perfectly ready for more activity.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened,

“Oh my. You saying you’ve got the moves?”

John shrugged,

“I don’t want to boast.”

“Show me your moves.”

He danced her all the way to the library, and put on music that she’d forgotten all about, and they spent the rest of the day, (or night, cause who could tell in the TARDIS?) just like that. Content in one another’s arms.

There might have been a storm coming, but the Doctor and John Smith were ready for anything, as long as they were together.

***

**END**

 


End file.
